The Fourth Republic Rises - solidarity comrades!

[StaffAssociationRepresentative]

You are most welcome to this school staff support thread to get us through stressful times. Baiters and bashers can jog on somewhere else.

If you are not staff and just have a general education query please start your own thread.

You can play here only if you are a member of one the following groups-

-ABBA - anti bashers and baiting association
-SWAB - school workers against bashers
-SWOT - school workers opposing teacherbashers
-STARS - schoolworkers together against ranting + slurs

Other requirements for staff room entry include the ability to find the staff room, the ability to find a clean mug in the staff room, knowledge of the photocopier codes and the ability to sniff out where the toffee vodka is hidden.

OK, so this ahs got confusing. Ironically, my DH got a callback (six weeks later!) from the GP today to clarify shielding.

It was not a GP but a switchboard person so chocolate teapot stuff really but anyhoo...

According to her there are not 2 , or even 3, categories of risk but 4! Viz:

1. extremely vulnerable (this is the shielded lot)
2. high risk 3)moderate risk
3. common or garden mortals

Obviously not the exact words. she basically said apart from group 1 everyone has to SD anyway so the advice fro groups 2 and 3 is the same for 4. He seized the opportunity as where this left the made up group 3s in terms of work and she obviously didn't really know but said she thought only 1s should not work. She was really only phoning to make sure he had shopping. So, in the same call as telling him he could go back to work, she told him not to leave home unless he had no one to do his shopping!
FFS none of this is helpful!

DH didn't ask who else was in 'moderate risk group 3' but I suspect pregnant women, the overweight, healthy over 70s, some diabetics, low grade asthmatics and, it would appear, anyone who has had heart surgery.

Her explanations weren't very reassuring as to the type of risk each group faced so I won't put those here.

Well I think those who can not see the difference between what is to happen in schools and what is to happen to the rest of the community are a bunch of flat-earthers!

#solidarity

Is this real?

pile of bollocks

I think I've seen discussion of the interview that came from on Twitter. I don't think it refers to schools but was more about him saying that we're not going to be able to go away this year, even within this country. I don't think they're keeping schools open - may be wrong though.

Appu

Mr Hancock was asked by Phil and Holly whether summer would be cancelled.
And he replied: "I think that’s likely to be the case.
"I think it’s unlikely that big lavish international holidays are going to be possible for this summer."

We've had 25% say they'd send children back to school on 1st June (Years R, 1 and 6). That's it. 30% said 'not sure'.

So... that's handy.

Oh, I'm NOT working the summer holidays, not even slightly.

I've just come off a Zoom call with my department and my HoD is heading into college this afternoon for an SLT meeting - socially distanced of course. When we all registered our dismay at this she sort of shrugged it off, but FFS, if they totally disregard guidelines like this (there are NO students in college so it's not like skeleton teaching staff have been there daily, just essential operational staff working alone in offices) then I have zero confidence they'll place our safety first.

I don't know that school summer holidays will be cancelled completely. But they may take the opportunity to review the length of the summer break which is so often complained about by parents, who are using school for childcare.

Or maybe they won't. But if they are going to make changes to the school year, now would be the time to do it.

My kids primary has asked me what care I will need from the 1st June for them. I don't know yet as our school hasn't shared any sense of a plan. I'm really hoping this means it won't be a rushed job to get everything back to normal. given the issues they had with sick pupils the day they closed, I would like to think not.

He doesn’t mean school holidays. He means going away on holiday.

Boy, 14, with no underlying conditions dies from new disease linked to coronavirus
The boy was treated at Evelina London Children’s Hospital where more than 40 children have now been treated for the “hyper inflammatory” disease

Trump was asked last night about this even he was concerned but us nope. Nothing to see here.

That’s heartbreaking shampooandtv

Poor child, and his family :( what a loss to bear.

That's terrifying. That poor family.

Awful! Why are they rushing things back here!

If a member of staff has helped someone who was unwell with a new, continuous cough or a high temperature, they do not need to go home unless they develop symptoms themselves (and in which case, a test is available) or the child subsequently tests positive (see ‘What happens if there is a confirmed case of coronavirus in a setting?’ below). They should wash their hands thoroughly for 20 seconds

Ffs. Every time I look at the guidance I see more total disregard for our safety. Everyone in contact with a suspected case should stay mingling together cross infecting until they develop symptoms. Just wow.

Incidentally I live in a village and don’t drive so I wouldn’t be able to access a test centre unless they also want me to infect a taxi driver on my way (minimal public transport at best of times here).

I’m personally not going back without massive clarification. Luckily I’m secondary but secondary has the joy of schools deciding which subjects they will deliver so non core may be scrapped and we’ll all teach maths, science and English all day?

Shockingly I’m relieved that I have major health issues that I’m signed off for currently. I note that asthmatics aren’t covered unless they are over 65.

I'm in Scotland but I'm reading all this with absolute horror and sympathy for my English colleagues. I can't quite believe how blase the guidance is on removing the need for social distancing (because that's what this is, even though it pretends it's not). The principle that we are somehow more disposable than other workers is absolutely abhorrent. I really hope you and your unions stand firm on not letting this happen. Support to you all.

We need a hand sanitiser emoji!

Murray do you think we will follow suit when the time comes?
Just hearing furlough being extended.

Dh has emailed me the guidance for proper workplaces. They're spending thousands on getting it right. He won't listen.when i.tell him.there is no point telling me what work.SHOULD look like.

I’m feeling increasingly stressed about all this-God knows how heads are feeling.

I wonder where the unions will go with this? Is striking the only thing they can do? Did the government pass laws banning union strikes unless a certain percentage of people responded or was that just talked about?

@Mistressiggi - I am worried about it. I think Nicola is being more sensible with timing and the earlier holidays work in our favour, but I can't see how they could follow a much different model in terms of class sizes without really pissing off parents who are comparing provision to England.

If furlough extended, does that suggest schools WON'T all be back to normal? Or is that pubs etc?

I assume furlough has been extended for things like hospitality and leisure businesses.